Folding cot



1 .UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES L. AMES, v'on CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOLDING COT.

' SPECIFICATION formingl part of Letters Patent No. 249,444, dated November 1.5, 1881.

i i Application filed August 15, 1881. (No model.) I

Toall whom it may concern: i

i Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Gots; and I do hereby declare that `the following is a full, clear,

and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. p

rlfhis invention relates to the class of folding cots having'crossed and pivoted legs, which, when the cot is folded upon thecentral pivot ofthe legs, also fold against or into lille with the side rails.

It also relates to the wire Sprin gs of the headrest of a folding cot. Il

As it relates to the'folding legs, the invention consists in certain features of construction in the irons by which the legs are pivoted to the side rails, andl in the combination, with a staple affixed to one of the legs, of a brace of special form and arrangement for holding the legs extended. 4

`As it relates to the headfrest supports, the

-invention consists in a certainform ot such i l supports by which the head-rest may be more readily folded'closely upon the remaining parts when the cot is closed, all as will be hereinafter more fully set forth, and pointed out in the appended claims.

`In the accompanying drawings, Figurel represents the parts concerned in the operation of the head-rest as they appeal,` when the cot is extended. Fig. 2 shows one featurein the construction and the point of pivoted attachment of the plates by which the legs are joined to l the rails, and also the peculiar construction of the brace.v Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective end view of the cot extended. Fig. Ais a perspective `view of one of the leg-plates and a fragment of theleg to whichitis attached. Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the side rails, showing i l the relative position ofthe rails, legs, and brace whenthe cot is folded. Fig. Gis a fragmentary side view of the folded cot, showing the position into which the head-rest may be readily trally-pivoted legs. D is one of the leg-braces. E E are the plates by which the legs are pivoted to the side rails. Fis theheatlrest, and

F F are the head-rest supports.

In order that the legs C and C may fold npward in'to line wi I h the side rails withoutthrowing the latter one past the other at the ends, it f i as clearly shown in Figs. 2' and 3. That the legs (ofproperthickness) may fold entirely within` the space embraced. by the rails, this construction and arrangement of the plates require that the pivotal point shallbe near the top edge of the rails,"which, being nearer the point of strain from the canvas, (applied to said edge ot' the rails,) greatly increases the strength of the joint. Anothereffect of this form ofthepivotplates is to throw the pressure upon the legs` outside the verticalplane of the joints, and to thereby give a slight tensional strain upon the braces, which, as will be readily seen, increases the security ot' the cot in its extended position.

The plates E E are secured tothe legs G C by means of rivets or screws. For the purpose of relieving Vthese fastenings of strain calca lated to loosen them, the plates are provided with a shoulder, e, against which the legs abut, and which therefore take the pressure-strain upon this connection.

The brace D consists of a thin, dat metal piece, provided with the hook d atits free end, Y

and pivoted at the other end'to the inner surface of the side rail, near its upper edge. Near its pivoted end the 4brace is provided with a' downward curve d and itis uidedin andV engages with the staple d2, set obliquely in the leg G, as shown in Fig. 2. When the legs are folded up between the rails the curve d rests within the staple d2, and the latter eithe'rforces or allows the brace to lie in line with the :rail and legs. Moreover, by reason of the offset or bend d the brace at its free end lies opposite the leg C', attached to the opposite rail, sothat while folded closely out of the way itis not clamped or caught by the leg C. i

The wire springs F', which support the headi IOO . rest and which consist of the parts f and ff, proceeding from the coil at f2, differ from those heretofore used for the same purpose in being given a pronounced angle at f2, as shown.

Having this form when the head-rest is raised, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. l, the coils f2 strike the rails considerably back of the points at Which the springs are pivoted to the rails, and the rest therefore cannot, when in 1c use, fold down beneath the Weight upon it. f3

f3 are the points on the rails at which the springs are pivoled. By the same means, however, when the cot is i'olded, the parts fand the end bars f4 naturallyplie closely down against the rails, as seen in Fig. 6.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a cross-legged folding cot, the legs C and C,provided, respectively, with the straight plate E and bentl plate E', substantially as and zo for the purposes set forth.

2. In a cot wherein the legs fold Within the rails, the combination, With the leg and rail, of

the staple (Z2 and the brace D, havin g the hook d and the offset di, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth..

3. In combination with the cot-legs, the pivot-plates secured to the leg by rivets and provided with the shoulders e, substantially as described.

4. Combined with the rails A, the head-rest spring F', having its partsfand f inclined at an angle at f2, as described, whereby, when the rest is raised and the parts f are nearly vertical, the parts f are inclined, and Whereby, when the cot is folded, the partsf and the end bars, f4, may fold closely upon the rails, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. CHARLES L. AMES.

Witnesses:

M. E. DAYTON, JEssE COX, Jr. 

